Paul-Henri Spaak

Paul-Henri Spaak (25 January 1899-31 July 1972) was Prime Minister of Belgium from 15 May 1938 to 22 February 1939 (succeeding Paul-Emile Janson and preceding Hubert Pierlot), from 13 to 31 March 1946 (interrupting Achille Van Acker's two terms), and from 20 March 1947 to 11 August 1949 (succeeding Camille Huysmans and preceding Gaston Eyskens). He was a member of the Belgian Socialist Party.

Biography
Paul-Henri Spaak was born in Schaerbeek, Belgium on 25 January 1899, and he qualified as a lawyer in 1922 and practiced until entering Parliament as a member of the Belgian Socialist Party in 1932. He became Belgium's first socialist Prime Minister in 1938. After the German invasion he moved to London, where he was Foreign Minister of the government-in-exile. Here he played a major role in the establishment of the United Nations, and became the first President of the General Assembly. He was one of the architects of the Benelux customs union annd became president of the consultative assembly of the Council of Europe from 1949 to 1951. He played a major part in forcing the abdication of King Leopold III of Belgium. He was Foreign Minister from 1954 to 1957 and again from 1961 to 1966, and was Secretary-General of NATO from 1957 to 1961. As one of the first and foremost proponents of a European economic association based on free trade and movement of labor, as well as joint social and financial policies, he was a key figure in the establishment of the ECSC and the EEC.